Teaching a 5 yr old to skate...

1. In my hockey days I seem to recall a "myth" that the best hockey skaters learned to skate on figure skates first. Is this correct?, he is still using skate hire figure skates at the moment but I want to get him some skates so he gets some confort and a consistent grind but do I get figure or hockey skates?

2. Would inline roller skates help him learn ice skating? Clearly inline skates will help practise hockey skills once he can skate but is it better to stick to ice for now?

I think our learn to skate program encourages figure skates until they can get the basics down and are comfortable, generally one or two 7 weeks sessions. After that the move to hockey skates is fine.

I would encourage inline skating. Overall the methods are the same and it could actually force him to use better form in things such as pivots etc. as inline is not as forgiving as ice. Obviously stopping will be different but you can owrk on that at public skates.

...I seem to recall a "myth" that the best hockey skaters learned to skate on figure skates first....

I don't think it's the type of skate that matters, I think it's the fact that many of the kids who play hockey develop their skills through learn-to-skate programs run by figure skating clubs. That's certainly the case in our area, anyway.

I don't think it's the type of skate that matters, I think it's the fact that many of the kids who play hockey develop their skills through learn-to-skate programs run by figure skating clubs. That's certainly the case in our area, anyway.

I agree with this it is not the skate type, but that the skate fits properly. If your kids feet hurt they will hate skating. When my son started he had a bad pair of Bauers. He did alright, but once I got him better skates ($70) he loved it more and improved at a higher rate.

I agree with this it is not the skate type, but that the skate fits properly. If your kids feet hurt they will hate skating. When my son started he had a bad pair of Bauers. He did alright, but once I got him better skates ($70) he loved it more and improved at a higher rate.

I highley discourage learning first in figure skates if you intend on going to hockey skates later. The difference in the skate radius is a huge issue in switching between the two, as is the different construction of the boot. The toe picks at the front of figure skates are also problematic for learning a proper stride.

Kids tend to try everything on the ice to make themselves move until they find something that works. Using toe picks to push off of is the easiest way for kids to go fast when they are learning, but it teaches the wrong stride method and will mess your kid up for a while.

As others have said, getting comfortable in his skates is the most important thing when learning to skate. If his feet hurt like hell everytime he's in his skates, he will equate skates with bad, and thus not want to skate.

First off, I would suggest enroling him in skating lessons, and getting on the ice as much as possible.

Secondly, I would suggest (in conjunction with the first point, or even in place of it) getting a pair of skates with good ankle support and a pair of skate guards. Practice standing, walking, and really just balancing on two blades at home before you go to the rink. Also do the same thing in the lobby without the skate guards on before you hit the ice. Simply put, if your son can't stand, balance, and walk around on land, he's got no chance on the ice.

When you get on the ice, the best way to help him skate around is if you're in front of him (skating backwards), with your hands out in front of your son to hold on to as opposed to you skating behind him and holding him up by his shoulders. This forces him to depend more on himself for balance than on you, and lets you control how much support you are actually giving him (ie holding him up, or just giving him a balance point).

Also start with "marching on the ice" and don't worry about the push glide sequence (regular stride) until your son his confidently moving around the ice. Emphasize picking the knees up high, and turning the toes slightly out (for traction on the ice). Try using keywords to get him to do what you want such as "stomping around like a t-rex." You'll also want to get him to put his arms up like wings to help with balance once he is able to go without your help for a bit.

Try the above; this should be good for the first few weeks. If you have any other questions, let me know. I've taught skating lessons for the last 7 years, so I've got a bit of experience.

All very helpful. I think I will get him some comfortable hockey skates in a few weeks time. Presumably the entry level CCM (about £50 here) would be OK?

He is already on lesson 3 of 6.

Thanks to you all.

Simon

If he's already in lessons, talk to the instructor to see what he/she suggests in terms of practicing.

and in terms of skates, entry level skates are fine. Try to go for new skates rather than used if you can. You can generally only break a pair of skates in once, and that goes a long way to determining comfort.

You can also ask your grinder about the rocker on his skate. The very novice can benefit from a larger radius profile. It gives the skate a larger "sweet spot" for balance and are much more forgiving. Once the little guy is zipping around on those with confidence, have the rocker reground to standard...9' isnt it?

1. In my hockey days I seem to recall a "myth" that the best hockey skaters learned to skate on figure skates first. Is this correct?, he is still using skate hire figure skates at the moment but I want to get him some skates so he gets some confort and a consistent grind but do I get figure or hockey skates?

Figure skates are often easier for beginners to learn to balance and move around on because of the longer, flatter blade. The rinks where I teach allow beginners to wear either kind of skate for basic lessons, but if I've got a student in hockey skates who's having trouble balancing and marching forward I'll often suggest to the parents that they go with rental figure skates for a few weeks. As soon as the skater can march, glide, get up from a fall, etc. in the figure skates we go back to the hockey skates and they're generally fine. If your son can do those things and you're ready to buy skates, I'd go with the hockey skates.

when i started playing hockey (age 7) my dad made me take figure skating lessons for 2 years. by time i had finished the lessons, i was a better skater than most of the kids i played with due to the extra time on the ice and figure skating developes a greater sense of balance and agility.

if figure skating is not an option, getting a young kid into power skating lessons as early as possible is a must to play competitive hockey. i usually took power skating lessons during the summer to help keep my "ice legs" and its a great way to stay or get back in shape.

ultimately, a kid should only participate in additional hockey/skating training if they want to and its fun for them.

i would try a micron style or old plastic boot,for the first pair.they are kind of like ski boots if you've seen them.early skaters can have an ankle support issue in cheap skates.i would avoid figure skates ,but dont be afraid to have the figure skating club teach the lessons.younger kids can get used to skating by walking in roller blades on grass or carpet.i dont believe in skate pushers at all but rather putting in the 2 or three weeks of time with the child to gain the balance on the skates.(it can be tough but well worth it imho).a small pair of hockey pants that allow movement and some of the small roller blade elbow knee pads i would recommend also.some of the early falls can be discouraging without some padding. (full face helmet of course).if you teach the child yourself be sure to take extra care to use long strides and proper stance as you would be surprised how many kids skate exactly like there father.as the child progresses be sure to put in the time on the backwards skating as well.finally if you take the child skating often he or she will progress very rapidly at this age but remember ,even if the child chases there friends or plays tag or kicks a ball etc,they are still gaining balance and agility because straight skating can become boring very fast. just my opinion,i'm sure you have very qualified instructors in your area.good luck.

1. In my hockey days I seem to recall a "myth" that the best hockey skaters learned to skate on figure skates first. Is this correct?, he is still using skate hire figure skates at the moment but I want to get him some skates so he gets some confort and a consistent grind but do I get figure or hockey skates?

2. Would inline roller skates help him learn ice skating? Clearly inline skates will help practise hockey skills once he can skate but is it better to stick to ice for now?

Thanks

Simon

Figure skates first probably not a good idea, but after a while, it will be a good idea if he is a hockey player later on as it will vastly improve his speed and balance. Angelo Esposito, who will go high in this year's draft, can skate like the wind, and he owes much of that to the figure skating that he took growing up, as well my cousin, who played Major Junior for 3 seasons in Hull/Gatineau, said that figure skating was really importnt in helping him get to where he was.

It is probably a good idea to worry about skating on ice first, save roller hockey for later.

What ever you do, make sure you don't spoil your son by pulling him full speed around the ring from behind... they get spoiled like mine did and I had a tough time convincing him to skate on his own.... My second advice would be to get him the ice walker so he could hold on to it and practice his stride.... Thirdly, make sure his skates are sharp (believe me it's tough to find a place that would sharpen such small skates...) Lastly, give him incentive... meaning him skating toward someone either his mother or a friend...

Good luck but I'm always happy to see people teaching there kids to skate at a young age...

Figure skates first probably not a good idea, but after a while, it will be a good idea if he is a hockey player later on as it will vastly improve his speed and balance. Angelo Esposito, who will go high in this year's draft, can skate like the wind, and he owes much of that to the figure skating that he took growing up, as well my cousin, who played Major Junior for 3 seasons in Hull/Gatineau, said that figure skating was really importnt in helping him get to where he was.

It is probably a good idea to worry about skating on ice first, save roller hockey for later.

Do you mean get the basics (start, stop, turn both ways, backwards etc) on some hockey skates then get some figures skates as well and work through the figure skating lessons and levels?

Do you mean get the basics (start, stop, turn both ways, backwards etc) on some hockey skates then get some figures skates as well and work through the figure skating lessons and levels?

Would he keep on hockey skating at the same time?

your kid should be wearing hockey skates during figure skating lessons and only hockey skates at all times. the figure skating lessons set the skating foundation and the "feel" is memorized by the feet. figure skates feel and respond differently as a previous poster mentioned. changing back and forth between the different boots would end up throwing off their balance and stride, making skating an unpleasant experience.

your kid should be wearing hockey skates during figure skating lessons and only hockey skates at all times. the figure skating lessons set the skating foundation and the "feel" is memorized by the feet. figure skates feel and respond differently as a previous poster mentioned. changing back and forth between the different boots would end up throwing off their balance and stride, making skating an unpleasant experience.

That depends- do you mean a hockey player just taking power skating, or someone who wants to figure skate and play hockey? I've known plenty of athletes of have done both- I do it myself, although I've been figure skating for fifteen years and only playing hockey for one. At least a couple of times a week I do a figure-skating session and switch right into my hockey skates for a public session. Only had to do that a couple of times to get used to the switch. OTOH, hockey players who just take power skating from a figure skating instructor generally wear their hockey skates for the lessons. The only time I've known a hockey player to wear figure skates past the Learn-to-Skate level was when he/she wanted to do figure skating too, not just power skating. I agree that there's no reason for a hockey player who has NO interest in figure skating to wear figure skates.

I've been teaching Learn-to-Skate for eight years, and I encourage aspiring hockey players to start in hockey skates if they want, BUT it doesn't work out for every kid, especially if they're younger than five or so. Quite a few of them have trouble getting their feet underneath them and just fall repeatedly. If the kid doesn't seem to care (and the class is small enough that someone can work with him/her individually), that's fine, but if the kid is getting discouraged and upset, that's when I suggest trying the figure skates for a few lessons. We go back to hockey skates once he or she can march and glide. I've yet to have this not work, and I've yet to have a kid struggle for more than a few minutes with the switch back to hockey skates.

The one thing I would recommend to any parent is to sign up for skating in the summer, early fall, or late spring, when class sizes at most rinks are much smaller. The more one-on-one your child gets, the easier it will be if he or she is one of the youngsters who has trouble getting the hang of things on ANY kind of skate.

I agree with this it is not the skate type, but that the skate fits properly. If your kids feet hurt they will hate skating. When my son started he had a bad pair of Bauers. He did alright, but once I got him better skates ($70) he loved it more and improved at a higher rate.